


Liebeslieder

by mjartrod



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Christmas Challenge, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Museslash, New Year's Concert, Snowpremacy 2016, non-au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 10:04:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9067066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjartrod/pseuds/mjartrod
Summary: What if January 1st turned out to be more than the start of the year for Matt and Dom?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nuraicha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuraicha/gifts).



> Written for the Snowpremacy 2016 Challenge.  
> My prompt, given by the absolutely fabulous Nuraicha, was: New Year's Concert – red underwear – mistletoe.
> 
> “Liebeslieder” (Love Songs) is an incredibly beautiful waltz by Johann Strauss Jr, and one of his most famous pieces.  
> Sorry it's a little short, but I hope it's still enjoyable somehow. Also, it's unbetaed, apologies! All mistakes are 100% mine!
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone :)

_Musikverein Golden Hall, Vienna_

_1st January, 2017_

 

“For fuck’s sake, Matt.”

Dom muttered under his breath, no longer bothering to mask his yawning. He was cold, hungry, quite frankly still hungover, and it seemed that if something hadn’t changed in 2017, was that his thoughts and desires continued to be perpetually ignored by his bandmate.

The Muse singer was still taking selfies with Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, under whose baton the New Year Concert had taken place this year. It was only out of respect for the outstanding musicians that Dom fought to remain awake the entire concert. The look of wonder in Matt’s face as they played had softened him a little, he had to admit, and was amusing in itself since the singer always claimed not to care for Strauss. It didn’t mean he was forgiven already, though.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his skinny jeans (an attire that had brought a number of disapproving looks, not that he gave two shits about it) Dom continued to sulk, his chin held high.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He could guess without having to check that it was Instagram notifying him that Matt had added a new picture; he also didn’t have to check to know that Matt had probably aimed another lame joke at him. It didn’t matter, really - as long as he hurried the fuck up. Sure enough, the singer finally waltzed up at his side, fixing his tie and looking extremely smug.

“Let’s just get some food, I’m fucking starving.”

“Told you, you should’ve had breakfast.” Matt said good-naturedly, resting a hand on Dom’s shoulder as they walked side by side to the cloakroom. “Not my fault.”

“ _Not my fault_? How is any of this not your fault?”

“You said you’d watch the concert with me.”

“I thought you meant on TV!”

Matt raised a single eyebrow in his direction. Touché. Dom looked away and cursed his own stupidity, not for the first time during the day (and certainly not the last). He should’ve known better, of course. But still, a little warning in advance would’ve been appreciated. Being rudely awakened so early when he’d just barely crashed on a sofa after arriving from the New Year Eve’s party, only to be shoved inside a bloody plane to jet from Switzerland to Austria, was decidedly _not_ how he intended on starting the new year.

At this time of the day, he mused miserably, their friends would have barely gotten up from their warm beds and would be lounging in the chalet they’d rented in the Alps. There would be good wine and cheese, perhaps time for a bit of skiing... while he was stuck in a concert hall with fucking Matt. Who even attended any kind of musical event in the morning? Rubbish, the whole idea. He hated it when Matt was single. He invariably turned to Dom for entertainment, which would inevitably translate into some form of nagging.

The small square outside the legendary venue was brimming with concert attendees in their flashy suits and gowns. It was no longer snowing but everything was still covered in a thick carpet of white. Matt had stopped to fiddle with his phone and for a brief moment Dom was incredulous, wondering if he had recruited Glen for this and was waiting for him to show up around the corner to shepherd them as usual. But as it turned out, Matt hadn’t deprived Glen of spending New Year’s day with his family. Neither the van with tinted windows that had taken them from the airport nor its driver were to be seen; Matt was simply checking an itinerary.

“Calm your tits, mate, just checking where the restaurant is.” He said without raising his eyes from the screen. “I got us a reservation. It’s that way.” He pointed.

“Next time,” Dom started as they began to walk. “Find yourself a date. Why didn’t you bring one of the chicks from the party?”

“I asked _you_ , didn’t I? Fucking ungrateful, Dom, do you know how difficult it is to get tickets for this?”

The blond produced the most imposing eye roll he could muster. “Oh, so this was for _my_ benefit.” He drawled.

“Oh, fuck off.“ Matt dismissed with a hand wave. “Here’s a good New Year resolution for you: be nicer to others.”

“Here’s one that I fail every year: stop being nice to you.”

Matt flashed him a grin. “Stop whining, you love me.”

Dom groaned. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so fucking cheerful?”

“Why are you acting like a right knob?” Matt was finally beginning to look mildly irritated. “And don’t blame it on me or the party last night, you’ve been a dick for weeks now and you know it as well as I do.”

Dom conceded defeat and settled with just looking away and admiring the beautiful architecture of the historic centre of Vienna. Yes, there was another reason for his bad mood, but not one he wished to dwell on. He usually did a good job of avoidance of that topic too but the truth was that it was… there.

There had been a strange energy between them for a while. Between him and Matt. It was a vibe which brought discomfort and made him fidgety, a lingering touch enough to set him on edge. It resulted in him being more aware of himself when Matt was looking at him; it forced him to avoid certain topics of conversation, unsure of where it could lead. It wasn’t exactly unfamiliar to him, it was something that popped up on occasion over the years but was gone fast. This time, however, it had stubbornly overstayed, present for a good number of months by now, since around the time they holidayed together in Iceland.

If he were to be honest with himself, Dom would admit to be able to pin down the exact nature of his issue. Sexual tension, he’d say aloud if it were with anyone else. It was difficult not to be aware of it, not when his mind would treacherously stray to Matt when he was having a good wank in the shower.

Dom knew his sexuality was… fluid. It had never been an issue for him to act upon his urges either. But this was forbidden territory. They were too old, too jaded, too close for this.

Matt, thick as a brick in so many things, was annoyingly perceptive when it came to him though and would read him like an open book. There were no secrets between them, not really. Which was why it puzzled him even more that Matt hadn’t backed off, as he obviously had done other times, and continued to prod Dom at every chance.

What was he playing at?

***

Outside the steakhouse where they had their lunch, Dom stretched with a long yawn. Bad mood conquered after a satisfying meal, he could do with that nap now and sleep the remains of his hangover off.

He squirmed when he felt a freezing cold finger poke at his side, where his shirt had ridden up under his coat. Matt was looking at him with a grin and then jerked his chin towards Dom’s midriff where, Dom realised belatedly, a red stripe of underwear had been exposed.

“Knew it would be an instant hit.”

Dom shrugged. In his sluggishness in the morning to get dressed, he couldn’t find any underwear, except for the stupid red boxers with a montage of his own head on a horse strategically located at the front. Matt had brought it for him from Bing, he claimed, as a belated Christmas gift.

“Couldn’t find anything else to put on.” He defended himself. “And you should be ashamed of yourself. Using your son for sleazy jokes.”

Matt giggled. “He picked them, I swear. What was I going to say? Anything for his uncle Dom.”

They still had about an hour before they would get picked up to fly back to Switzerland so they took a stroll along the cobbled streets flanked by imperial buildings. Dom liked Vienna. The timeless charm about the city made every visit enjoyable somehow and the snow gave it a special touch. There was a peaceful atmosphere and the rough morning was beginning to fade into a blurry, distant memory. They could hear music nearby and soon found themselves in a little square, where a small audience was gathered watching a couple of amateur musicians covering Pink Floyd. The duo was composed of two guys who appeared to be in their thirties, one a percussionist and the other a guitarist who also did some vocals.

Matt was tapping his foot to the rhythm before he turned aside to the drummer with a nod of approval.

Dom smiled. “Yeah, I know. They’re really good.”

A nostalgic smile creeped on Matt’s lips. “Ever wondered that could’ve been us?”

“That could’ve been us.” Dom agreed.

“I’d be alright with that.”

Dom scoffed. “Bollocks. Save it for the interviews.”

“It’s true, I mean it. At the end of the day, it’s what matters the most, isn’t it? Music and someone to play with. Everything else is just a bonus that you get to enjoy while it lasts.” He paused. “Wouldn’t that be enough for you?” He asked softly.

Dom kept his attention on the musicians, although he wasn’t really seeing them anymore and his heart drummed a little faster in his ribcage. He offered no reply, not because he didn’t know what to say – but because he wholeheartedly agreed.

Matt ended up shaking his head with a smile. “Fair enough, you always wanted more. My whole career has been about trying to fucking please you.”

Dom didn’t correct him.

They clapped in unison when the performance ended. Before they launched into the next song, though, the two street musicians turned to the other and pressed their lips against each other’s in a small but affectionate kiss.

“Now there’s a twist.” Matt said.

Dom felt his throat too dry out of a sudden. The air seemed to thicken and he knew before Matt even opened his mouth that he would not drop the subject just yet.

“Ever wondered, Dom… if that could’ve been us...?”

Dom swallowed and time seemed to pause for an eternity while Matt’s question played in a loop in his head. His ears felt as if stuffed with cotton and his limbs were not so stable anymore all of a sudden.

“More times than I can count.” He finally said. He could have ignored it; dismissed it as a joke to which he would’ve played along. He could have even called out Matt on an attempt to wind him up. He wasn’t sure why he chose to be truthful. Maybe because Matt had not been joking. “But no, that could never be us.”

“Why not?” Matt turned to him now and it was a genuine question on his face. “Would that be so bad?”

Dom felt almost removed of his reality. The music floated amidst the serenity of their surroundings and he could feel the cold on his face and Matt’s voice was so warm to his ears. It was surreal to have this conversation in such a place. In the privacy of his own mind, of all the times he had imagined something like this happening, and there had been a few over the years, it was always preceded by or before a big, dramatic event, and it took place in a more intimate setting. He wasn’t prepared for this now, he wasn’t sure he would be able to speak freely without saying anything that wouldn’t lead to a serious misunderstanding; he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk _at all_. What would be the point? Some things were better left untouched. His head was beginning to throb, the hangover returning unannounced.

Dom sighed. “You could never be like that.”

He regretted his words almost instantly. Matt’s features bore no mask - they were pure honesty and what they revealed was disappointment seeping through. He seemed to consider his words carefully before he spoke. “I know I’m a fucking bastard, but do you think so little of me that you’d would find me incapable of..?”

“No, I don’t think less of you in any way.”

“Then why?”

Dom shook his head, weary. “Would you want that, Matt? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“I don’t know what I want,” he confessed, without looking at Dom. “But I know how I feel.” His throat bobbed up and down visibly before he continued. “I think I’ve known for a while.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know, I’m just tired of ignoring this. I thought… I thought that you might feel the same. Do you know what I mean?”

Matt was obviously waiting for an answer of some sort but Dom didn’t know what to say, completely taken aback by the shocking turn of events. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Matt on the other hand, was growing fidgety and antsy on the spot, he could tell, and every second that went by without a reaction from Dom was only making everything painfully worse.

“You know what, I’m just talking bollocks, this is fucking nonsense, I don’t know what I’m saying. Just-” The singer rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand.

Dom made an effort not to smile, the dull throbbing in his head easing again. The weight in his shoulders was replaced by a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was familiar; this he could do.

“Has it occurred to you this might not be the best place for this conversation?” He asked.

“Oh, fuck off you cunt.”

And before Dom could as much as flinch, Matt turned on the spot and was stalking off. Of course, Matt had misunderstood him and interpreted him as being flippant about something that he found important, which was a capital sin. This time Dom couldn’t help grinning and took off after him. He grabbed his arm and spun him around. Matt was furious, his eyes narrowed into slits. For once understandably, in Dom’s opinion, as fuck knows he would never have the balls to do what Matt had done.

“Matt-“

“The fuck do you want? Are you laughing? You’re laughing at me?”

“Matt,” Dom whispered. “You’re making a scene.”

Matt shook his hand off and turned around, his back ramrod straight, but he didn’t leave and he didn’t say anything. How very typical to demand immediate answers and decisions on a matter which they both had brushed under the carpet their entire lives up until that very moment. Before he could push him away again, though, Dom decided to deal with this situation in the usual way when it came to Matt – he followed his instinct.

He slid his right hand into Matt’s left from behind and interlaced their fingers. It struck him how inconvenient it felt that they both had gloves on.

“What are you doing?” Matt whispered.

He shook his head with a smile. “I don’t know. I really have no fucking clue.” He chuckled. “I thought maybe we could just go with it, yeah?”

Slowly, he saw the strain in Matt’s posture ebb away as the meaning behind Dom’s words clicked. He nodded, first gently then with more conviction and then glanced down at their joined hands. “Yeah.” He was slightly breathless. “We’ll just go with it.”

***

The journey back to Switzerland was somewhat awkward and while they were driven to the chalet in the Alps, and Dom stared silently outside at the landscape through the window, he wondered whether that day had happened at all. But then he felt the back of his neck prickling with something… and he peered around to find Matt studying him quietly. The tie was long gone and his shirt was open at the neck, the top buttons undone. Dom shifted in his seat, fighting a sudden urge to press forward into him and take him down on that leather seat. He wondered what it would be like to cover Matt’s body with his own and feel his heat spreading underneath him. And then, just a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, to start with, just to see how it felt like; then another one lower, below his jaw, followed by another on his collarbone, on that little patch of skin his eyes could catch.

Imagination running wild, Dom turned to the window again instead, and chewed on his own lip.

When they arrived at the chalet, they were greeted cheerfully at the door by Tom, holding his son in his arms, and a couple more of their mates, all with glasses in their hands.

“So how was the gig?”

Dom rolled his eyes as Matt prepared to launch into a fanboying session, and they both stepped inside at the same time.

“ _Mistletoe_!”

A child’s loud screech coming from the inside of the house interrupted them and they all stared at the little girl, who was hiding her laughter behind a small hand. She was pointing at the ceiling with the other one, the dreaded branch of green (which Dom could swear wasn’t there the day before) sneakily hanging above the doorway – and directly above the two bandmates.

“Chloe!” Her father admonished.

They both froze as the rest of their friends joined in, the hall now crowded.

“Doesn’t work when it’s two guys, darling.” Dom smiled tightly.

The little girl darted an offended stare at him. “Uncle Dom, are you homophobic?”

The group erupted in laughter as Dom shot a discreet “ _what the fuck?_ ” to his mate Andy. His stomach contracted and he could bet that Matt was just as uncomfortable as he was, and not entirely because of the mistletoe tradition. A mere day before, the situation they faced would have been a million times less compromising.

“Very funny, you’re all 9, aren’t you?” Matt grumbled.

“Funny is _you_ having a gripe with immature jokes.” Someone in the back said. More laughter.

Dom shared a glance with Matt. There was no getting out of this.

“Fuck’s sake, come here,” Matt commanded, positioning Dom in front of him by his shoulders.

He leaned forward to reach the blond but he was met halfway and their noses collided, to more giggling and hooting. They adjusted awkwardly among some muttering and finally puckered their lips for a chaste kiss and for the entertainment of their friends.

“There now.” Tom’s sarcastic tone came through. “That wasn’t so _hard_ , was it?”

Dom glared at him suspiciously. He didn’t think they’d done it on purpose. Why would they? Then again, with that lot one never knew…

Hands on his hips, he looked aside at Matt. He seemed slightly amused despite himself and offered Dom a surreptitious smile. The drummer chuckled to himself as everyone began making their way back into the house chatting loud, the two musicians at the tail of the group of old friends. Dom closed his eyes for a moment; there was no point overthinking, they had to go with what it felt right, wasn’t it? Before he lost his nerve, he stopped Matt with a hand on his shoulder and curious blue eyes stared back at him. He slid both hands around his neck, cupping his face gently.

“Maybe we should do this proper,” he whispered.

And without giving Matt a chance for protest, he bent down and kissed him. In the back of his mind he registered a little sound of surprise escaping from Matt’s mouth. He felt his lips parting in surrender when he angled his head to boldly deepen the kiss; there were wiry fingers grabbing at his waist for support.

Mad euphoria was running through his veins when he pulled back and judging by the intense look in his Matt’s eyes, it was mutual. It appeared they were starting 2017 in sync and it wasn’t a bad place to be. He felt a pang of arousal when Matt reached out again, but his mouth only went near Dom’s ear.

“Happy New Year, Dom.”

_Fin_

**Author's Note:**

> For what it’s worth, here is a selfie of Matt and Gustavo Dudamel…
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/2sNxSCnXVd/


End file.
